


Official

by wanderer765



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen, Love, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7724404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderer765/pseuds/wanderer765
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little something I whipped up for a friend in response to the spoiler pics we saw last week :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Official

Iris sat at CCPN finishing up some notes for an article she was writing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her phone light up with a text from Barry. She felt her stomach do a somersault as she smiled.

**Hey. I don't want to startle you when you leave work, but I'm waiting outside for you. Was hoping we could take a quick stroll? :)**

She turned her head and saw him standing outside, off to the side. He smiled and gave her a small wave, she gave him a small wave back.

**I'd like that :)**

She closed down her computer and grabbed her purse before heading for the door.

Barry had been back about a week. They'd had a quick chat when he'd first gotten back, but things were still in a limbo of sorts. Both of them had been too busy, and maybe a little nervous if she was honest with herself, to have a real conversation about where they stood.

She opened the door and was greeted by a warm summer breeze. She couldn't help but notice Barry looked a little nervous and was dressed in a nice grey suit.

"Hey Bear! You look nice."

She looked him up and down before giving him a quick hug.

"So what's up?"

She wrapped her hand around his arm and Barry nervously played with his hands as they started walking.

"Well, we haven't really had a chance to talk about...things since I've been back and I was hoping we could tonight."

They rounded the corner and Barry sped away from her side to stand beside a giant heart made of red and yellow flowers. Right beside the heart was her name spelled out in the same red and yellow flowers.

Her eyes teared up as she scanned the scene before her. Barry, she quickly noticed, played the part of the 'I' in this special note he'd made for her.

_I <3 IRIS_

"Barry...I don't know what to say. It's beautiful."

She put her hand over her mouth and walked to close the space between them.

"I know things have been crazy and a little tense with everything that's happened. But I need you to know my feelings are still exactly the same as they've always been. I'll never stop loving you Iris, ever.

So I was hoping if officially...you'd be my girlfriend?"

She grabbed his hand and looked up into his eyes.

"I'd love nothing more."

She squeezed his hand before letting go and turning her gaze back to the flower display.

"I hope you know, as beautiful as this all is, it wasn't necessary. You could've asked me in your pajamas, while shoving food in your mouth and I would've been just as happy to say yes."

They shared a quick laugh.

"No, you deserve to have stuff like this done for you. You deserve to have someone who puts effort into making you feel special."

She gave him a shy smile.

"So. Hopefully your night is free because I made reservations at this really nice Italian restaurant. I thought we could have our first official date as a couple."

She raised her eyebrows and nudged his side.

"You were pretty positive I'd say yes, huh?"

He shrugged.

"I had a pretty good feeling."

She grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers, as they walked downtown. She kept stealing glances up at him and felt a warmness fill her. He looked happier than she'd ever seen him and it was because of her, because of them.

They walked inside the restaurant and Barry told the maitre d' the name for their reservation. The young man looked between the two of them and smiled. He grabbed two menus and brought them to their table.

Although packed, it was a beautiful, quiet restaurant. On their table was a single lit candle and a single blue iris in a clear crystal vase.

She noticed on the way to their table that all the other tables had roses in their vases. Barry must've specifically asked for the iris displayed on their's.

"This is beautiful Barry, thank you."

She reached across the table for his hand.

He looked over at her as she read the wine list. Ever since she'd met him outside CCPN she'd been reaching for him, pulling him close. As much as he loved it, it hurt his heart a little. The deeper meaning behind what she seemed to be doing subconsciously.

Before he could say something to her he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. _Shit_ he thought. He pulled his hand away from hers.

"Sorry, let me just see what this is about quickly.

Hey Cisco. This better be an emergency."

She watched him as he listened. He leaned his elbow on the table and brought his hand to his forehead, leaning against it. She could tell by his movements that he was going to have to leave.

"Ok, I'll be right there."

He hung up and waited a few seconds before looking up at her.

"Iris..."

"Go Barry. It's ok, I understand."

"Leaving you like this, it's not at all what I had in mind for this evening. I swear I'll make it up to you."

He signaled to their waiter and explained that an emergency had come up and that they unfortunately had to leave.

Once outside Barry quickly ran Iris to her car. He grabbed her hands and kissed her cheek and told her he'd call her later.

And just like that she was alone. Her hands stayed reaching out for him after he was long gone. She tried to hold back the tears she could feel forming in her eyes. There was so much she hadn't had a chance to tell him yet. All the fears she had. The anxiety she felt every time he'd had to go in the past week, even when he wasn't heading off to fight a meta.

She shook her head trying to make all her worries go away and got in her car to drive home.

\--------

As soon as she was in her pajamas she pulled out her laptop to work on her article. She needed the distraction, even though she continued to obsessively check her phone after every paragraph she wrote. Barry hadn't given her any information on where he was headed, which is why she felt so unsettled. But she knew Cisco or Caitlin would let her know right away if something was wrong. So she buried herself in her work until exhaustion took over and she drifted off to sleep.

She woke with a startle when her phone vibrated in her lap a few hours later.

 _Barry_.

"Barry, are you ok?"

She sat up and felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Sorry to be calling so late."

She looked at her bedside clock to see it was a little past midnight.

"Did you get whatever meta you were looking for?"

"Not exactly. It's slightly complicated but we can chat about that later. I'm sorry again for leaving tonight. Can we maybe try again tomorrow?"

She groggily smiled into her phone.

"It's a date."

"Awesome. I'll uh, talk to you tomorrow then. Goodnight Iris."

"Goodnight Barry."

\-----------

The work day seemed to drag for Iris, despite how busy she was. All she could think about was seeing Barry after work. They'd made a plan to meet down by the water to talk before having dinner.

She was thankful when the time to leave finally arrived. She packed up her things and quickly headed for her car.

When she arrived she was surprised to see Barry already there waiting for her. She saw him take a deep, steady breath as she approached him.

"You're so beautiful," he said to her calmly as she stood in front of him.

She reached for his hand and they walked toward the gazebo at the end of the walkway.

They made small talk and he gave her the cliff notes version of the previous night's events, until they reached their destination. Before them was a table set for two. Christmas lights lit up the space, creating a warm and inviting environment.

"Barry, you're too much. This is beautiful."

He moved to stand in front of her and she tightly held his hands, making sure they stayed together. He looked down at them.

"Iris, are you ok?"

She looked at him, confused.  

"What do you mean?

Barry, this is wonderful and I'm really not upset about last night I-"

"I know. But are you really alright? Not that I'm complaining, but I've noticed since last night...you don't want to let go of me."

She looked at him as her eyes slowly filled with tears. He reached up to touch her face.

"Iris, talk to me."

She was silent a moment before she took a deep breath.

"I'm scared...of losing you. Of you leaving again. I know why you left and I understand it, but it still scares me, ya know? Doing this. Letting myself be as in love with you as I am, knowing you might not be here tomorrow. Every time you left this past week, whether it was for work or to go to star labs or to speed off and fight a meta, I wondered if it was the last time I'd see you.

I don't think I could handle you being gone again. Not when I love you as much as I do. I'd be completely lost without you here."

He stroked his thumb against her cheek as she held on to his arms.

"Iris..."

He thought for a moment before continuing.

"I hate that I've made you feel like I'll just up and go at any moment and I don't know what to say to make you believe me, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm done running away when things get hard. When I was in the other timeline and I was losing my memories of you...I've never been so scared in my life. I never want to feel like that again. I never want to be without you or our memories. You're all I need and as much as I used to think that was true when I'd say it before, I don't think it really was true until you were being ripped away from me...because of the choice _I_ made. I won't risk that happening again. This, what we have, it's everything.

I'm scared too. Scared of you loving me the way that I've always loved you, knowing that sometimes I might hurt you or you'll hurt me. But I'm ready for it. All the ups and the downs. I want all of it. All the happiness we'll share, all the fights we'll have. I'm ready Iris. I won't run."

She reached her hand up and rested it around his neck.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She pulled him down and kissed him slowly. There was no reason to rush and every reason to live in the moment. He held on to her waist and kissed her back in the same needy, but slow way she was kissing him. Letting her know how much he needed this, and always would. That he would never let her go again.

They broke apart and smiled at each other.

"I'm so in love with you Barry Allen."

He pulled her closer to him.

"I'm so in love with _you_ Iris West."

He leaned down to kiss her again when he felt his phone vibrate. They rested their foreheads together and both let out a sigh.

"It's ok," she whispered to him.

"Go be the hero that I love so much and I'll be here waiting when you get back.

I'll never not be here when you get back, ok?"

He leaned his head down and kissed her.

"Ok."

She felt the familiar gust of wind that he always left in his wake. She leaned against the railing of the gazebo, looking out at the water.

And she waited.

 


End file.
